On some level, the mitzva of sitting in a Sukka symbolizes the wandering Jew. Just as the Sukka is a temporary structure, with little protection from the elements, so for almost two thousand years, we wandered among the nations of the world, with little or no protection from the whims of our “hosts.”

One of the lessons taught by the fact that Shemini Atzeret – Simḥat Torah follows the seven days of Sukkot is that when the Jew has Torah with him, he is not really a wanderer. James Michener, in his magnificent novel “The Source,” wrote, most insightfully, that the gentiles created the myth of the wandering Jew, but in truth, wherever the Jew had Torah, he was at home.



Despite the terrible events of last Simḥat Torah, we must realize that Eretz Yisrael is the true home of the Nation of Israel, and that our connection to our homeland requires our connection to Torah. (David Magence)

Chag Sameach

The Va’ad